Prankster convinces people he’s famous in Times Square

Even if you fancy yourself a pop culture expert, you might be surprised how easy it is to be fooled into thinking some ‘regular’ dude is a celebrity. That’s exactly what New York City’s Brett Cohen proved, when he pranked a bunch of people in Times Square.

It was simple really. Brett merely cleaned himself up, donned a nice suit and gathered an entourage that included security, photographers, bodyguards and two pushy assistant. While Brett was inside NBC Studios, his assistants and the paparazzi started creating a buzz outside. When asked who the celebrity was, they didn’t provide an answer. So the people outside were left to make something up or take a photo, hoping their Facebook friends could identify him. A crowd formed even before the fake celebrity emerged.

His brand new fans were convinced they knew who he was too — “He’s the guy with the single on the radio right?” “No, actually he’s the guy from Spider-Man, I know it.” They lined up for photos and followed him around the square.

It goes to show how easily we’re drawn into the crowd mentality — fantasizing over someone without really knowing who they are, just because everyone else is. Would you fall for it?

Watch it here:

Brittany Mahaney is a regular contributor to ANDPOP.com and the former Online Editor. She obsesses over cat videos and boy bands, and often ends up on the weird part of the internet. You can follow her on twitter at @britt_mahaney or brittanymahaney.com.